


False Accusations

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-07-10
Updated: 2005-07-10
Packaged: 2017-10-21 05:48:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/221621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kavanagh accuses Rodney McKay and John Sheppard of being sexually involved with each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	False Accusations

**Author's Note:**

> Mary in CA wrote: _Okay, next Friday''s my birthday. I don''t say that to get well wishes, but because it's the motivation for my challenge. For my birthday delight, I would be most honored and appreciative if we could have a McShep bashes Kavanagh celebration. As many stories as possible where Kavanagh gets what the slimy weasel deserves with Rodney and/or John giving it to him._
> 
> Well... I missed your birthday, and this doesn't quite fit the description but, belated happy birthday :-) At this point in time, I have very little idea how _The Siege_ will end... only a month to go until Season 2 though :-D... so these early days following The Siege is all AU!

"There isn't enough time right now, Elizabeth," Rodney growled in annoyance, hating the constant demands made upon him. He was only human after all despite his incredible brilliance. He had to eat, sleep and take toilet breaks just like the rest of them and especially now Carson had withdrawn the use of his near endless supply of stimulants.

"Drop something else," Kavanagh called across the table in his most sarcastic tone, arms held wide, palms upwards, as if he was talking to a moron.

"Oh? And tell me, _Doctor_ Kavanagh, exactly what would you like me to drop? The modifications to the shield so the wraith can just beam back in here? Or maybe you'd like me to put aside the repair of the damaged Naquadah generators seeing how we have so much power to spare these days?"

"Gentlemen?" Elizabeth raised her hands, gesturing for them to calm down but Rodney barely noticed for his attention was focused on the supercilious, egotistical, self-serving physicist who had made his life one continuous headache from the moment he stepped into Antarctica. Rodney had done everything short of intentionally maiming the man to stop him from stepping through the Stargate to Atlantis, and had regretted the attack of conscience that had stopped him ever since.

"Of course I don't expect you to drop vital projects," Kavanagh responded in his most condescending tone, "but people need their creature comforts. Restoring the water and heating systems in the living areas would--"

"Waste a lot of what little time I have right now. You have a temporary roommate, Kavanagh. Deal with it."

"Wasting time? Well, perhaps if you spent a little less time with your dick up Sheppard's ass then you'd have the time."

Rodney blanched in shock, his chair scraping back across the floor as he stood up. "What did you say?"

Elizabeth was on her feet too, starting to lean forward with hands splayed on the tabletop, her body language bristling as Kavanagh simply leaned back in his chair with a smug expression, arms folded.

"I think I was clear enough, McKay."

"Now that is enough--" Elizabeth interjected but Rodney's shock was moving swiftly to anger, fueled by too little sleep and the terror he had lived with until the Daedalus arrived, bringing Sheppard home. It served only to spur Kavanagh on.

"Sharing quarters with your fuck-buddy isn't much of an incentive to resolve the problems the rest of us are enduring--"

Rodney was upon Kavanagh in seconds. Months of fight and flight on missions with Sheppard's team had toned muscle and improved his reaction speed but now he was driven by anger too. He spared only one small internal gloat for the fear that rushed across the previously smirking face before his fist was slamming into it. Kavanagh's chair went over backwards with Rodney landing on top of the slightly larger frame of Kavanagh. They grappled and rolled, flying fists having little power at such close quarters, until someone grabbed Rodney's arms and dragged him back off Kavanagh, momentarily leaving him restrained and vulnerable. Taking full advantage, Kavanagh climbed swiftly to his feet and, before anyone could stop him, he landed one solid punch that snapped Rodney's head sideways, sending Rodney spiraling into blackness.

****

"What the hell happened here?"

John was well and truly pissed as he looked down at his unconscious teammate; pissed and fearful as he watched Beckett at work. The doctor was kneeling down beside Rodney, applying a collar to keep his neck immobile for transportation to the infirmary, and that made John very nervous even though it was just a precautionary measure according to Beckett.

Elizabeth stood to one side of Beckett looking shocked, her arms folded tight across her body with fists clenched so tightly they whitened her knuckles. John lifted his gaze. On the other side of the room, Kavanagh was seated between Stackhouse and another soldier, his head tilted back as he pressed a cloth against a bloodied nose. Splashes of blood had marred the crispness of Kavanagh's beige uniform, forming dark streaks on one science-blue triangle panel. Stackhouse returned John's stare but he remained close-mouthed, waiting for a direct order before jumping into further action. After sweeping his eyes around the room at the remaining heads of the science departments, John glanced back down at Beckett who was softly cursing under his breath, alternating between sending daggers across to Kavanagh and concerned looks down towards Rodney.

This was supposed to have been an everyday progress meeting as they tried to regain some normalcy following the wraith attack.

****  
 **Twenty-five minutes earlier** :

The argument between Rodney and Zelenka was in full flow when John stepped into the room containing the Chair. Neither man noticed his arrival so he leaned against the wall and watched them, or rather, he watched Rodney because Rodney in a full snit was always entertaining.

"I'm not going."

John grinned at the familiar defiant look of raised chin and narrowed eyes.

"You have to go. You are chief scientist on Atlantis."

"You're my second. I'll delegate."

"No. They want you there, Rodney."

"I have more important work to do than sit in meetings where the science department gazes at its own collective navel while speculating on whether the need for a hot meal and a shower outweighs the ability to protect ourselves from another wraith fleet."

"I could use a hot meal and a shower." John had the pleasure of seeing Rodney's head whip round in surprise but the astrophysicist recovered quickly, picking up an MRE and hurling it across the room at John.

"Microwaves over there. Knock yourself out."

John grinned. "And the shower?"

"What am I? A plumber? Or are you looking for someone to scrub your back?"

"Well, there is a spot just about here--" John reached to scratch his own back but let his hand drop as Rodney rolled his eyes and turned back to Zelenka.

"I'm not going."

"You must go...and you must go now."

John knew all about the meeting and had deliberately avoided it on the grounds that it was far too boring listening to certain of those scientists--namely Kavanagh--drone on about damages and repairs to nonessential systems like the orange juicer. As far as John was concerned, Rodney could fill him in on anything important when he returned but, from the way he was bitching and moaning, it was clear that even Rodney was not looking forward to the meeting. Rodney turned to John with a pleading look in his tired eyes.

"Converting the improved Naquadah generators to interface with Atlantis's primary computer system is of the utmost importance. Without them operational, we are screwed."

"So, what's the problem?"

Zelenka pushed his glasses up on his face. "Even with all three generators working in parallel, we could not keep the shield up for more than a few hours before...bang...they would overheat."

"Hence, while it may sound like the answer to Kavanagh's prayers, I do not want to waste the ZPM on hot water and heating. We need to conserve what power remains in the ZPM for maintaining the shield in the event of another massive wraith attack, and for opening a wormhole to the SGC in an emergency...and let the generators handle the basic systems."

As a soldier, John could understand that. They could always build a fire and boil water if it came to it but having the ability to raise the shield or call for help was a defense they could not do without, as the last attack had proved. However, given time and another dozen of these new generators, John knew Rodney and Zelenka would probably be able to work out a way of cycling them to keep the shield up but time was not a luxury they had in the aftermath of the mother of all battles...and it was unnecessary when they had a ZPM to power the shield. All they had time for now was quick and dirty solutions in the hope that they would have the chance to pursue better options at a later date. John's thoughts focused on the final part of Rodney's sentence, recalling that raising Atlantis from the depths of the ocean had depleted the last ZPM so all the power for the systems had come from the Naquadah generators they brought with them from Earth.

"So the new Naquadah generators would power the systems just as they did before."

"Exactly."

"But better," added Zelenka.

"Better?"

Zelenka grinned. "The new generators are more powerful. Once they are in place, there would be enough energy to restore heat and water to the living quarters, and even expand the living areas to accommodate more personal...and it is better to have the shield independent of basic systems."

"Yes...but that's only if we can integrate the ZPM directly into the defense system controlled by the Chair rather than through the main console in the control room."

"It is almost done."

"Agreed, but it still needs to be tested and..." Rodney got that look in his eye, and a slight twitch of his lips confirmed John's suspicion that he had thought of something that would require John becoming his guinea pig...yet again. "Of course, if someone with the ATA gene were to offer to sit in the Chair and run through some of the basic system checks then--"

"I can do that." John stated, and Rodney's eyes narrowed in suspicion at John's quick response having expected the usual declaration of 'you have the gene too, Rodney' that Beckett liked to use every time Rodney asked him to use his ATA gene. He reiterated more strongly, "I can do that...while you go to your meeting," John added with a smirk, seeing the look of discomfort cross the always expressive face at the reminder.

John's smirk grew wider as Rodney's dismay deepened. He could almost see the wheels turning in Rodney's head as he weighed up the chances of John bluffing. A resigned sigh followed, and Rodney handed over his data pad to Zelenka.

"Fine. You stay and help Radek. I'm going."

John unclipped his P90 and propped it up against the control console, close enough at hand in an emergency, and then sat down in the Chair, not surprised when it failed to light up because Rodney and Zelenka had yet to complete the connections. He looked up at Rodney, but his grin faltered at the lost and frightened look on Rodney's face. Rodney ducked his head, breaking eye contact, wringing his hands nervously before forcing them behind his back.

Shit, John thought, recalling the last time he had sat in the Chair and how he had raced away on a suicide mission when Rodney could not restore power, leaving him without even offering a proper goodbye. The Chair powered up suddenly, taking John by surprise as it reclined backwards, just as it had that first time in Antarctica.

"Well...I'll leave you two to start the basic system check...but I'm going to this meeting under duress," he added in a petulant tone.

"Yes...you must go, Rodney." Zelenka waved a dismissing hand in his direction, his attention already engaged in the read-outs from the Chair.

John watched Rodney walk away briskly, cursing softly under his breath for hurting this man, but the thought of getting his own quarters back was enough of an incentive to make John concentrate...real hard. Not that he had anything against sharing with Rodney but the man was not the tidiest of people, leaving clothes where they dropped, and stacking books, manuals, hard copies and disks across any available surface, including the floor. Still, Rodney had managed to leave the bed relatively clear so John had taken advantage of using it instead of the debris-strewn floor. He figured he could best Rodney in a fight if they both wanted to sleep at the same time, and make Rodney choose between sleeping on the hard floor or getting over his idea that John had cooties and share the reasonably large bed with him. However, the situation had not arisen during the week that had passed since the timely arrival of the Daedalus with its ZPM, and John noticed that the bed had been slept in only once by Rodney during that entire time. It did not take a genius to figure that out for a career in the military had drilled into John the need to make his bed after use but Rodney was not military, and Rodney was not a tidy person.

They had been working for barely fifteen minutes when John received the call from Stackhouse on his headset radio.

"Sir, there's been an altercation at the science meeting. Dr. McKay is unconscious--"

"McKay! I'll be right there."

John raced away, leaving Zelenka open-mouthed in confusion.

****

 **Present Time:**

That Zelenka had chosen to follow was no surprise, not when John had uttered the name of Zelenka's friend and colleague. John glanced over his shoulder and spotted Zelenka hovering near the door along with several others from the control room. The small Czech looked confused and shocked but John could not spare the time to reassure him, not when his own fears were so close to the surface.

"Doc?" John hoped that fear was not too evident in his voice or that it could be misinterpreted simply as genuine concern for a friend.

"I need to get him back to the infirmary to run a few tests." Beckett looked up, with his blue eyes filled with worry. "He should'nae still be unconscious, though he was doped so high on stimulants these past days..." Beckett trailed off.

This past month had taken a lot out of all of them, and Rodney had taken a front row seat to all the horrors, losing first Peter Grodin and then so many others when the wraith breached the city; people he knew and cared about, though he would rarely acknowledge it. Throughout it all he had pushed and pushed, at himself, at others, forcing everyone to dig deep into reserves they never believed they had. He had led by example, never resting, using what power remained in Atlantis to buy time for those who still lived, and locking down areas to trap the wraith or hide 'his' people from them, even knowing the futility of his actions. Yet, it had not been futile in the end. He had bought them enough time for the Daedalus to arrive with the ZPM to save Atlantis, and its weaponry to save one Major John Sheppard from his suicide run against a hive ship.

As far as John was concerned, Rodney was the true hero of their battle to survive just one more day, holding Atlantis together and getting the ZPM initialized into the system with only minutes to spare before a massive armada of wraith hive ships arrived; an armada undetected until they dropped into normal space above the planet.

Seeing him laid out by a punch from the most ungrateful bastard John had ever had the misfortune to 'protect' had John seething in barely concealed rage. His eyes flicked back across the room towards the only other injured party, eyes narrowing as his rage turned from hot to deadly cold.

"So, is anyone going to explain what went down here?"

Beckett ducked his head while others refused to meet John's eyes, until he was left looking pointedly at Elizabeth. This was her meeting. These were her people, her responsibility. Rodney was her responsibility. She opened her mouth several times in abortive attempts to say something until, finally, some words tumbled out.

"My office, Major."

John spared one last glance at Rodney as he was gently lifted onto the medical gurney and whisked away, and then he followed Elizabeth out of the conference room towards her glass walled office. She closed the door behind him and asked him to take a seat, which he refused. Some sixth sense warned him that he was not going to like what he heard, and he tended to take bad news better on his feet.

"Kavanagh..." She took another deep breath and started again. "Doctor Kavanagh insinuated that Rodney had an ulterior motive for giving the restoration of the heat and water controls in the south side quarters a low priority."

John frowned. "That doesn't make sense. What ulterior motive could anyone have for asking people to double up for a few days? We've only just driven off the entire civilization of the wraith. I would have thought keeping the shield up was more important than putting running water in every room." He noticed that Elizabeth had her arms crossed over her chest defensively again, with her lips thinned, for once unable to tell if she agreed with him or not. "Admittedly, it's not been such a hardship for me sharing with Rodney. The man's not been in his quarters for more than an hour at a time since well before the Daedalus arrived, and only then to shower because Zelenka told him he was starting to smell a little too ripe. In fact, I was meaning to speak to you about easing up on Rodney's workload."

"Major...John. Kavanagh insinuated that you and Rodney were sexually involved--"

"He what?"

"--and using the accommodation difficulties as a cover for continuing your relat--"

"That bastard!" He swore viciously, lips a tight line as his eyes bored into Elizabeth. "You can't believe for a minute that McKay would..?" John bit off his words. "So I gather McKay decked him, and Kavanagh got in a lucky punch back."

He noticed that she flinched ever so slightly before nodding, and knew she was withholding information from him. His first instinct was to pull it out of her but if she didn't want to tell him then it would be difficult, and completely unnecessary. Beckett had been in the conference room at the time of the fight and John could rely on him to buckle under a small 'friendly' interrogation as long as it did not compromise a patient. Not wanting to waste any more time, he straightened up.

"If that's all then I'm going to check on McKay," he stated, turning away instantly.

"Major?"

He turned back, trying to retain a calm exterior while, inside, he was seething with anger for Kavanagh and concern for Rodney.

"Is it true?"

His eyes widened in disgust and she held out a hand in apology, "not about the motive. I know Rodney would never..." She sighed, leaving her words hanging. "Is Kavanagh right about you and..?"

John closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, shaking his head gently. "No. It's not true."

"Okay," she replied softly.

He turned and walked away, mentally commanding the door to open but he paused on the threshold, looking back at her. "But I'd have liked it to be true."

John dipped his eyes, not wanting to read her expression, and silently wondering if she would be just as stunned by his admission as he was, because it was the truth and it had taken him until this moment to realize it. He did want it to be true. He wanted to be the person with whom Rodney shared his life and his body, and his love.

"John?"

He hardened his expression, cutting off anything she might have said with a cold look. He had already said far more than he ought, especially with renewed contact with the SGC and the presence of Colonel Caldwell on the ship currently in geo-stationery orbit above Atlantis. Instead, he moved swiftly through the control center to the closest transporter, heading straight to the infirmary.

****

Rodney was still unconscious but Beckett seemed less tense.

"Doc?"

"Sleeping...and if it weren't for the head injury I'd be happy to leave him sleeping until he comes around naturally. God knows the man could do with some sleep after...after..." his voice petered out. None of them could speak easily of the past few days. Alone in the Pegasus galaxy, the small community of scientists and soldiers had formed an extended family, and the pain of losing family members to the wraith was still too close. "I was about to wake him."

John watched as Beckett once more revealed the gentleness that made him such an extraordinary human being as well as a brilliant physician. His hand shook Rodney's shoulder, while fingers gently tapped Rodney's undamaged cheek.

Stepping up to the bedside, John folded his arms and smiled indulgently until he saw the bruise swelling the side of Rodney's face, blackening one eye. The lashes on the remaining 'good' eye began to flicker and Rodney murmured softly about being left alone to die in peace, bringing a small smile back to John lips. He waited until that eye was almost fully open, waited until Beckett had ensured Rodney knew who and where he was before he moved into Rodney's line of sight.

"Thought I'd taught you how to duck, McKay."

"Yes, and I would have, if I hadn't been restrained at the time." He winced and hissed at the pain caused by talking, his voice groggy and slow compared to the usual sharpness that John was used to hearing from this quick-witted man.

John shot a glare at Beckett, recalling the other reason why he had come to the infirmary. The glare was good enough to gain a response without even a single demand uttered.

"When we dragged Rodney off Kavanagh, we did not expect the man to stand up and punch him."

John nodded grimly, adding that additional information to the mass of reasons why he disliked Kavanagh so very much. Rodney had his flaws. He could be egotistical, conceited, arrogant, loud, and obnoxious but to anyone who truly bothered to get to know him, he could also be incredibly brave considering he was so scared most of the time, very generous, and painfully shy.

As far as John was concerned, Kavanagh had no redeeming qualities at all. He had all of Rodney's flaws and far more besides. When the wraith attacked, he abandoned his station to hide in one of the unused labs, locking down the room and refusing to allow admittance even to his fellow scientists, so this recent show of cowardice, in hitting a defenseless man, had come as no surprise to John.

"Can I leave now?"

Beckett answered by leaning forward and shining a small penlight into Rodney's eyes again.

"No. You have a mild concussion, and I was a wee bit bothered at the time it took you to come round. I want you to stay here in the infirmary tonight, under observation. Unless the Major could watch over you for--"

"No." John was taken aback by the force of that negative from Rodney and only slightly mollified by the softer words that followed. "No, I'm sure the Major has far more important duties to attend to, and what if he's called away during the night? I could die in my sleep and no one would know until someone found my decomposing body in my bed a week later."

"Now there's a happy thought," John muttered.

"Aye, a little dramatic, but there is that, I suppose. Maybe you'd best stay here then."

Beckett seemed a little concerned; glancing across at John a little furtively because they both knew it was out of character for Rodney to back away from a chance to gain freedom from the infirmary. For John, it only made sense if Rodney had become uncomfortable around him following the incident with Kavanagh and the accusations the weasel had made.

That thought sent John's glance across to the far side of the infirmary where another doctor was completing the finishing touches on Kavanagh's broken nose. John met Stackhouse's eyes over the top of Kavanagh's head, seeing disgust written in them so plainly that he wondered if it was for him, Rodney, or for Kavanagh. It was hard to tell even though Stackhouse had always come across as a nice guy before, but rumors of homosexuality, even if not based in truth, could bring out the worst in some people.

At least Kavanagh was sporting two black eyes and was looking far worse than Rodney, though John knew looks could be deceiving for Kavanagh sent his own look of disgust across the room as he left the infirmary, accompanied by Stackhouse. Obviously, Beckett had seen no reason to keep Kavanagh in for observation, and that thought riled John.

"You have ten minutes, Major. Then I want you out of here so Rodney can rest."

Beckett moved away, leaving John alone with Rodney in the infirmary. When he looked back down at his friend, he noticed that Rodney had turned his face away from him, which was not such a good idea as the bruised side was pressing against the pillow, adding lines of pain to the already damaged face. John knew Kavanagh's remark was behind his unwillingness to look John in the eye but whether out of embarrassment or disgust was still a mystery.

"Rodney?" No answer. "Elizabeth told me what Kavanagh said."

The noncommittal grunt was his only response. John sighed. What concerned him most was Rodney's reaction to Kavanagh's words. Rodney had never shown any particular interest in men beyond what John considered a healthy curiosity. If anything, he spoke more of women and had mentioned his attraction to 'dumb blondes' on more than one occasion. Shortly after arriving in the Pegasus galaxy, Ford had related one story that had been going around the SGC for a couple of years where Rodney had developed a crush on a fellow astrophysicist, Samantha Carter.

Insinuating that one of the elite of the SGC was a _dumb blond_ had earned him a one-way ticket to Siberia.

Had Kavanagh's remarks found a homophobic streak within Rodney? John knew of a number of men who could accept the rights of gays but who turned nasty if anyone dared to accuse them of actually being gay. He wetted his suddenly dry lips, needing to know the answer.

"Not like you to get all physical over a little bit of name calling."

Rodney turned, one eye painfully shuttered, the other blazing in anger.

"A little bit of name calling?" He winced but carried on despite the obvious pain. "Colonel Caldwell is hovering in orbit above us, and the US military is back under full control via the SGC and General O'Neill. A 'little bit of name calling' could get you sent back to Earth for a dishonorable discharge."

John smiled, knowing that was the least of his problems. Don't ask, don't tell was not an ideal solution but it offered him some protection from false accusations. After all, as they were not sexually involved with each other, there was no case to answer. Still, Rodney's response relieved the tension John had been unaware of until that moment, and he felt something inside him ease up; his smile broadened mischievously.

"If I got sent back to Earth... Would you miss me, Rodney?" he bantered softly.

Rodney looked totally bewildered, which was not a pretty sight with his eye and cheek all bruised and swollen in multi-colored hues ranging from red through blue to black.

"That's not the point. If the military hears even a rumor of impropriety then your career is at an end."

John leaned in closer. "Interesting choice of words... _That's not the point_. That means you would miss me."

Rodney looked a little disconcerted. "Well, of course I would miss you. You're...you're the military head of Atlantis."

"Uh uh. Caldwell outranks me."

"What? Oh! Of course he does, but he's not relieved you of military command of Atlantis."

"True but--"

"And he could if Kavanagh's rumor--"

"Don't ask, don't tell," John stated strongly.

"Well, that's all very well and good except Kavanagh couldn't give a flying fuck about--"

"It's not true though. We've never..."

"When has that ever mattered to the military mindset?"

"I love you too, Rodney."

"Wh...what? Who said I lo... Who said I even liked you?"

John sank down into the seat beside Rodney's bed, smirking now at the flustered look on Rodney's painfully bruised face. "Oh, you did. Brilliant, conceited, arrogant, egocentric genius and all he's worried about is my reputation. Must be love." John added with a cheeky grin and a teasing light in his eye.

"Wh...what?" but there was no power behind the confused exclamation.

John reached out and pressed a hand against Rodney's shoulder, squeezing gently. He could see Rodney was struggling to keep his one eye open. "Go back to sleep."

"You are...such a jerk," Rodney breathed softly, his good eye closing as he slipped back into sleep.

****

Jack O'Neill leaned back with a satisfied smile, his body still tingling from the euphoria of hot sex with a more than willing and much loved significant other. God, how he had missed this when Daniel was in Antarctica and then, when his lover went missing for a second time, he refused to believe he would never have this again despite all evidence to the contrary.

At least this time the ancients returned Daniel with full awareness of who he was. Jack doubted he could have gone through months of "look but don't touch" with Daniel again, not after the previous time when he had returned with no memory of the love and great sex they had shared.

"I want to go to Atlantis."

"You still got that thing for McKay?"

Daniel laughed softly, loving that small possessiveness. He and Rodney had been a one night stand. Two men feeling the cold both physically and socially and taking advantage of the temporary warmth the other offered; a single night filled with passion and the temporary release of pent-up sexual frustration. Crawling out of Rodney's bed the following day had been harder than Daniel anticipated. The private Rodney was passionate and generous, and as attentive a lover as Jack, which made Daniel feel incredibly guilty for feeling only friendship and lust in return. They only slept together the once but it was enough to forge a solid friendship, so when the mission reports reached the SGC in a tight datastream, Daniel had read them eagerly, seeking news of Rodney. What he read amazed him, and even Jack had to admit that he had underestimated Rodney McKay.

Originally, Jack had argued against Rodney being made chief scientific adviser due to that incident with Sam and Teal'c, though Daniel knew Jack had no regrets about sending Rodney to Atlantis. Far from it. After learning of Daniel's single night of passion, Jack had wanted nothing better than to send this potential competitor to another galaxy--but not in a position of authority despite Rodney's obvious knowledge and skill while working at the Antarctic Ancient outpost.

Doctor Weir had wanted Rodney though, and knowing that the only other contender for the position was Kavanagh simply proved she was a good judge of character. Of course Sam could have headed up the scientific expedition but Jack considered her too important to the SGC. As for Kavanagh? Daniel tried to find something gracious to say about even the worst of their enemies but he could find nothing pleasant to say about Kavanagh at all. The man was too full of his own self-importance to even acknowledge the opinions and ideas of anyone he considered to be of a lower intellectual level. As he believed he was the intellectual superior to everyone, including Rodney, that meant he directed his condescension upon everyone except those in an obvious position of power. There was a time when Daniel had even tried to check if the man was a Goa'uld who had infiltrated the Tauri and he had been most disappointed to learn that Kavanagh was all human. The man gave humanity a bad name.

Because of his sycophantic tendencies, Doctor Weir never saw this nasty side of Kavanagh, and neither did Jack for obvious reasons, but Daniel experienced it more than once. Strangely, it annoyed him far more when that supercilious attitude was directed at Rodney; though Rodney was more than capable of fighting his own battles, verbally at least, putting Kavanagh back into his place with an acid tongue lashing that could paint strip a barn door in seconds.

When Daniel realized Kavanagh would be going to the Pegasus galaxy, he tried to convince Elizabeth to change her mind but, pain in the ass or not, Kavanagh was a brilliant physicist. They needed people capable of working with the ancient technology. They could not rely on Rodney and Radek alone, though Daniel thought Simpson was an excellent choice.

Daniel became aware that Jack was watching him closely, a smug smile stretching his lips.

"You do still have a thing for McKay."

"Noooo...least not in that sense." Daniel shifted on the bed until he could face his lover. "Come on, Jack. Why don't you admit that you were wrong about him?"

****

Jack pulled a face. His initial dislike of McKay had come from when McKay called Samantha Carter a _dumb blond_. If Hammond had not sent that condescending, arrogant prick to Siberia then Jack would have found an equally cold and harsh environment on the far side of the galaxy for him. A certain ice planet sprang to mind.

Jack liked Sam. He liked her a lot, though probably not quite as much she liked him, which was why he had never succumbed to the temptation of sleeping with her. He did not want to hurt her feelings when he went back to Daniel afterwards. That was the nature of his clandestine relationship with Daniel. They took other partners, even felt love for others, but they knew who they were in-love with. They both knew who they wanted to grow old with.

After Daniel told him about the one night stand, Jack sought out information on Rodney McKay. He tended to do that for every person his lover...loved, knowing it was the possessiveness within him that wanted to ensure Daniel had not made a terrible mistake in revealing his bisexuality to the wrong person. In truth, there was not a lot of good said about Rodney McKay until Jack started reading the reports from Atlantis. Fighting for survival brought out the best or worst in people. Kavanagh had remained true to form, descending into the survivor mode with little honor or compassion for those surrounding him, filled with his own sense of worth and self-preservation. In contrast, McKay had shined, just as Sam had shined under the constant pressure and the responsibilities of having so many lives in her hands. According to one of Weir's reports, he had even stepped between her and a man with a loaded gun; a man intent on using her death to prove to Sheppard that he did not bluff. A foolhardy move; irrational even, but it showed McKay's true mettle. It proved that McKay was not the selfish, egotistical man that Jack had read in the pre-Atlantis reports, which was something Daniel had tried to explain to him at the time.

He had refused to listen then, but now?

"Jack? Atlantis?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"Thinking about Atlantis, or about Rodney?"

Jack grinned. "I'm thinking about making you forget all about Rodney McKay."

He rolled over on top of Daniel and kissed him soundly, hands mapping warm, pliant flesh and driving all thoughts of others from his lover's mind.

****

Three hours later Jack was in the SGC commissary, seated at a corner table with Daniel and Sam. Teal'c was still offworld with Bra'tac, continuing his role in combining the forces of the Jaffa against their common enemy, the Goa'uld. The small talk faded and Jack turned to Sam with a sly smile.

"The _Daedalus_ arrived in time...but only just. Seems your friend McKay held things together."

Sam looked up, offering a weak smile. She had been thinking about Rodney ever since the first transmission arrived describing the imminent danger facing the Atlantis expedition. It did not take a genius to realize that they did not stand a chance. They were outnumbered and defenseless in a hostile galaxy with tens of thousands of creatures descending upon them with a single intent, to suck the life out of the people in Atlantis and then use the Stargate to reach Earth and a galaxy consisting of billions upon billions of humans who could be harvested for food.

Finding a ZPM had become imperative, knowing that all of the Atlantis personnel and the city, perhaps even this galaxy, would be lost if they could not get them the power they needed to raise the shield or destroy the only Stargate that could link back to Earth. Only a few days ago, Sam had used the ZPM they found in ancient Egypt to open the Stargate long enough to send through reinforcements, and as soon as those reinforcements had cleared the gate, she had shut down the connection and let them load the ZPM onto the _Daedalus_. Even with its engines capable of traversing galaxies and running at maximum speed, the _Daedalus_ had taken almost four days to reach the Pegasus galaxy. From the report received back from Caldwell, they had nearly been too late. The wraith were already in the city, and Colonel Everett was one of the casualties...and then the rest of the wraith arrived.

In those last few days, the only thing standing between life and certain death for Atlantis had been Rodney McKay's unselfish devotion to duty, though she was certain most would see it as merely an act of self-preservation. Yet, despite what people would believe, he had managed to keep the control center of Atlantis safe until the Daedalus arrived with the ZPM. Could she have done the same in his position? She hoped so.

"Do you remember when he called me a dumb blond?"

Jack nodded, a tiny spark of remembrance darkening his grey eyes as he straightened in his seat, waiting for her to continue.

"Do you know what smarted the most?"

Daniel answered with a shake of his head.

"The fact that he was right. I did take liberties with the protocols on the DHD, though I had no choice at the time. I just ignored what I didn't understand, hoping I would be able to figure it out later." She shook her head slowly. "Later never came, and then Teal'c got trapped in the gate buffer." She leaned forward, and both her teammates leaned in too. "If Rodney had been brought onto the project from the start, as I requested, then things might have been different. He is brilliant." She smiled again, wryly.

Daniel frowned. "Then why wasn't he brought in from the start?"

Sam gave a wry smile. "Because he's Canadian."

Jack leaned back and sighed deeply. In the early days of the project, access had been restricted to US personnel only and military at that. The Pentagon allowed foreign nationals to take part in the project only after they were forced to reveal the existence of the Stargate to allies such as the British and its Commonwealth partner, Canada. Of course the Russians were invited along too, especially after they discovered the second Stargate with its DHD intact. Jack's eyes drifted across to Daniel, and he saw the light dancing in them which said, _I told you so_.

"Still doesn't excuse him for calling you names."

Sam's blue eyes sparkled. "I think he paid enough for that remark with two years spent in Siberia with the Russians looking at Naquadah generators, and he was really very sweet when he was brought back the second time."

"He burned your hand!"

"He took the only option available to us at the time to shut down the gate before Anubis destroyed the planet."

"You knew it wouldn't work, though. That makes you smarter than him."

Sam flushed with embarrassment. "Actually, sir, it didn't work because one of the protocols I failed to address in the DHD overrode his attempt to--"

Jack closed his eyes and held up a hand before Sam could finish what he would describe as a _waste of a perfectly good explanation_. She knew he was not as stupid as he made out but that he hated all the technobabble, as he called it. Sam sighed. "Let's just say, I knew it wouldn't work but I couldn't recall why at the time."

"You're disappointing me, Carter. I thought I had the best astrophysicist and all round egghead in the galaxy on my team."

"Technically, you do, Jack," interjected Daniel. "Rodney's not in this galaxy."

Jack gave Daniel a weak smile while Sam beamed back at both of them. Although she might not necessarily be the best in both galaxies, technically speaking, Rodney had praised her and her abilities with an awe that had sent her walking on clouds for weeks afterwards. There was nothing better than being acknowledged by your peers and, no matter what, she could never resent Rodney McKay for his intellect. To know he still thought of her with affection was strangely comforting, even though she knew the attraction on both sides was intrigue rather than love or desire.

When one of Jack's staff approached the table, Jack looked up in semi-annoyance at the interruption; the officer offered a mumbled apology as he handed him a note. Jack read it quickly and swore softly, passing it to Daniel, who read it twice before handing it to Sam.

"Did I ever mention how much I disliked Kavanagh?" Daniel murmured.

Jack shot Daniel an annoyed look before pushing up from the table. Kavanagh had made a serious allegation against both Dr. McKay and Major Sheppard concerning a sexual relationship between the two men. In addition, he had demanded McKay answer to a charge of assault. Jack noticed that his complaints had come through Caldwell rather than through Dr. Weir and, silently, he hoped Kavanagh had a less than just reason for trying to circumvent her authority.

When he reached his office, he downloaded the full report and raised an eyebrow when he saw two more files attached; one from Doctor Weir and the other from Doctor Beckett. With his interest piqued, he opened Kavanagh's complaint first, reading the bland but damning charges laid out formally against McKay and Major Sheppard. Places and dates were listed where Kavanagh believed the two had engaged in sexual activities to the detriment of Sheppard's command and the safety of the expedition, concluding with a dry report of the physical attack made by McKay when Kavanagh _outed_ the couple during a meeting with the heads of the science departments. He snorted softly as he read Weir's counter argument and assurance that there was no impropriety between the two men in question. Then he read Beckett's statement. The doctor had witnessed both the altercation between the two scientists and had dealt with the physical consequences. Certainly, from Beckett and Weir's reports, it looked like the assault was justified on McKay's part as far as Jack was concerned.

Underlying it all, Jack could feel the weight of concern at losing McKay's expertise while he was laid out in the infirmary. Jack knew the Atlantis team feared the return of the wraith despite the presence of the Daedalus and the arrival of the much needed ZPM. Yet, for all his crowing, Kavanagh did not have the in-depth knowledge of the Ancient's computer systems required to effect repairs and modify the shield, nor did he have the special gene required to activate the systems. Atlantis needed McKay back on his feet more than they needed the egotistical, cowardly physicist who had condemned two fellow technicians to a terrible death when he locked them out of the laboratory to face the attacking wraith alone.

If none of that had been enough to convince Jack, then the private communication attached to Weir's report was the clincher. He looked up as Daniel entered his office and sat on the edge of his desk, showing absolutely no respect for Jack's rank.

"Jack? I hope you don't plan to do anything stupid just because I slept with Rodney."

"On the contrary, Daniel. I've just learned that the man who jumped into bed with my lover, and who has been carrying a torch for the...second most brilliant astrophysicist in the known universe, who is also one of my team members," Jack added with a hard smile and a raised eyebrow, "...has since found a colonel of his own--"

"He's a major."

"Hmm?"

"Major Sheppard is a...major."

"Is he?"

Daniel looked confused, and then it sank it. "You're promoting him? And they are..." Daniel waved his hand around, "...Involved?"

"No. Yes...and no." Daniel's eyelashes fluttered and he let out a sigh of exasperation until Jack added, "but I have it on good authority that McKay will be..." he waved his hand around, mimicking Daniel, "...Involved with a newly promoted colonel in the very near future."

"You do?"

Daniel leaned over Jack's shoulder, trying to see the text on the computer's monitor but Jack closed down the window, enjoying Daniel's frustration. It made for great games in the bedroom later.

"So, how do you plan to handle Kavanagh's...complaints?"

"Well, there's this ice planet--"

Daniel looked aghast. "You want to send him to P3X 93M?"

Jack squirmed in his seat. "Too cold?" he asked.

"No, I just kind of liked the people living there." Daniel smiled slyly. "Now, P5Z M3D, on the other hand..."

"Is that the one with the Triffids?"

They both grinned, his words reminding Jack why he loved Daniel so very much.

****

John grinned when the first voice he heard on entering the infirmary was Rodney's, complaining as always. He wondered how Rodney was going to react when he discovered what Kavanagh had done but at least Rodney was awake, and well enough to snark at Beckett. That had to be a good sign.

Without waiting for an invitation, John sank down on the bed beside Rodney, smirking at the indignant stare that failed miserably to impress because of the extensive bruising that looked worse now than it had eight hours ago. His own mood was changeable at best, alternating between the pleasure at seeing Rodney alert and anger at the circumstances that had put his beloved geek into the infirmary. He could not even blow off a little steam by taunting Kavanagh as the weasel had demanded he be transported to the _Daedalus_ , for his protection.

Elizabeth had agreed instantly, much to John's annoyance but in hindsight, her reasons were sound, and most people breathed a sigh of relief the moment the puddlejumper left Atlantis. Word of Kavanagh's allegation against him and Rodney spread like wildfire around the city, and John wondered anew if it was actually true that gossip traveled at twice the speed of light. What both amazed and embarrassed him, though, was the number of Atlanteans who came up to offer their support, simultaneously cursing Kavanagh's name and ancestry. They far outnumbered those who looked across at him in disgust before turning their backs on him.

John made a mental note of all those who treated him with disdain because, if he had his way then Kavanagh's lie would become the truth and, given the choice, John did not want anyone in Atlantis who would cause problems for him and Rodney. After all, Rodney was already an important part of his life, and John was not averse to sharing far more than just missions and platonic friendship after learning from Elizabeth that Rodney was not as straight as he had believed. Though why she would tell him such confidential information remained a mystery to John, unless she wanted him to take that final step beyond friendship with Rodney.

Fervently hoping Elizabeth was right about Rodney, John leaned over and brushed his lips over the open mouth, swiping his tongue across soft flesh for his first true taste of the man he had grown to love since arriving in the Pegasus galaxy. Strong fingers pushed him away, the desire in Rodney's eyes at variance with the words that tumbled from his lips, increasing John's confidence.

"This is so not a good idea, Maj--"

John leaned in again, pushing aside the hands that tried to hold him back.

"Shut up, Rodney," John mumbled against the pliant warm lips, trailing off as he desperately wished he could plunge into the arrogant mouth and silence all of Rodney's objections, but a soft whimper of pain made him draw back. Rodney's good eye widened in shock as he read the surge of anger in John's eyes; anger John felt for Kavanagh at this moment as he looked down at the battered features. He lifted one hand, drawing the knuckle down the undamaged cheek to reassure Rodney that the anger was not directed at him.

"Just wish I could make that bastard pay for what he did to you."

"Kolya did worse," Rodney whispered hoarsely.

John's eyes dropped to the strong forearm, and the too recent scar that stood livid against the pale flesh. "Kolya was the enemy."

That was why it angered John so much. He could expect pain and suffering at the hands of an enemy but not from someone who had lived, eaten, slept and fought alongside them for over six Earth months. Someone he should have been able to rely upon like extended family, except John knew from bitter experience that blood was not necessarily thicker than water. The only good to come out of this was realizing how much Rodney meant to him, and how much he meant to Rodney in return. They had shared so much since they first stepped through the Stargate. They had fought with each other and for each other, sharing danger and laughter, teasing and cajoling, bickering and even yelling at each other on occasion but it only proved that they cared.

John was the type that always made friends wherever he went, good friends. He'd had US Airforce friends who watched his back out in the field, willing to put their life on the line for him. He'd had friends who got drunk with him, friends who'd come over to spend an afternoon drinking beer and watching the football. He'd even had friends who helped him ease the tension of a mission with fast and meaningless sex but, until Rodney came along, he never truly understood what it was like to have a best friend.

Rodney was no soldier but he stood up to a superwraith to save John, even though it scared him half to death. Rodney hated American football but he would sit on the couch in the recreation room, letting John explain every defense and attack move as some game progressed...and Rodney would sit and let him get drunk when a mission went really bad and people died, and then he would put him to bed and sit with him to make sure he didn't choke on his own vomit during the night. How many times had he awoken in the infirmary to the sound of Rodney tapping away on his ever-present laptop? How many times had he found himself hanging out in Rodney's lab listening to Rodney expound on some obscure theorem, not understanding a word but loving to watch the passion in Rodney's eyes as he shared his ideas.

Sharing and passion; the combination of words invoked other thoughts that sent the heat to John's groin.

Exchanging body fluids would be good too, he thought with a smirk that Rodney must have read in his eyes or smile, judging by the way he began to splutter and flush a deep crimson in contrast with the black and blue of his bruises. Rodney put a hand up between them.

"Why now?"

"Why not?"

He moved in to kiss Rodney again but the hand pushed back harder. John sighed, knowing Rodney needed an answer before he would commit to anything more between them, perhaps wanting some tangible proof that this was no temporary aberration on John's part. Dragging a hand through his unruly hair.

"I fully expected to die, and the only regret I had when I took up that jumper was...you." John's lips twitched into a grin, unable to hold the solemnity of the moment. "And not knowing who won the Superbowl."

The grin faded at the look that softened Rodney's face.

"You are such a jerk."

"But a loveable jerk," John quipped before easing forward to kiss Rodney again. This time, Rodney did not push him away and John was infinitely gentle as his lips barely grazed Rodney's, tongue flicking across to wet them, to taste them. When he pulled back this time, he knew this was the start of something new between them

****

 **Epilogue--Several days later:**

"Never had a colonel before," Rodney murmured, smoothing kisses down the side of John's neck as they lay in John's bed together.

"You mean you've had other ranks?"

"Hmm Hmm. Had this uppity major once. Wanted to either kiss me or stick his dick in my mouth just to shut me up."

"Oh, and...Hmm..." John shuddered in pleasure as Rodney sucked on his neck just above the collarbone. "What happened to him?"

"Oh, the usual." Rodney punctuated his sentence with another kiss, trailing down John's collarbone and across the hairy plane of one pec to the small, peaked nipple. "Got outed by some weasel scientist." He suckled on the nipple, and John could feel the smile of Rodney's lips when John moaned appreciatively, until Rodney drew back. "And that's the part I still don't understand."

"Oh?" John frowned at the loss of the gentle sucking and licking, his hand automatically pushing on Rodney's head to encourage him to continue with the warm ministrations that were sending pulses of desire raging through his body. He grunted in annoyance when Rodney continued to talk instead.

"O'Neill promoted him to colonel and told him to keep up with the good work."

John laughed at Rodney's indignant tone. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Yes, but a little more ego stroking would never do me any harm."

"Oh, I think I can manage that, if you can manage to put that mouth of yours back into more productive use."

His next words were punctuated with gasps as Rodney worked his way down John's body. "I love you...love you...love you...love you...oh God! I really love you now," he cried as Rodney deep throated his hard erection. "Rodney...Rodney..?"

"Can't talk. Busy," he mumbled around the thick shaft.

John gasped again, hands clawing in Rodney's hair and tugging on one ear as he tried to thrust into the clever mouth that was just as adept at blowing as it was at talking. Rodney's hands had wriggled under John's ass, kneading the strong muscles but also preventing John from thrusting deep and hard into the talented mouth. A finger tickled over the entrance to his body, sending shock waves of need coursing through John and he cried out in dismay when Rodney pulled back again.

"Damn cocktease."

An unrepentant grin lit Rodney's face as he drew back up to his knees, looking along the length of John's body spread out before him. Rodney's eyes captured his, and John lost himself in the impossibly blue depths, as blue as the Stargate shimmering on a hot summer's day. He wanted to step into those eyes and be swept away to a new world, lost forever in the beauty of this moment as those eyes fell towards him slowly. Long lashes fluttered closed as Rodney's lips sealed with his and it took all of John's self-control not to grab hold of Rodney's head and fuck those kiss-swollen lips with his tongue. Instead, his fingers tangled in the short strands of hair, sliding down to cup the beautiful face gently as Rodney gave him the sweetest kiss before drawing back again.

This time he looked away, seeking and finding what he wanted. John quivered in anticipation as the long, agile fingers were coated in lube, spreading his legs further as he waited for the sweet touch. He was rewarded as a finger skimmed over the entrance to his body once, then again before circling the strong muscle, slowly easing inside. He closed his eyes, losing himself in the incredible sensation as the finger brushed over that sensitive place inside, the warmth radiating outwards through his body. Another finger pressed in, then another and he relaxed against the welcome invasion as a warm hand palmed his straining erection, stroking slowly from base to tip.

John opened his eyes when the fingers left him, mewing softly in loss until Rodney shifted forward on the bed, drawing John's body up the incline of his thighs until the blunt head of Rodney's shaft was pressed against the loosened hole.

"You want this?"

Rodney's voice trembled with need and desire, and John could only nod in return, holding his breath as Rodney pressed into him, breaching his body, sending exquisite flashes of pleasure and pain through him. The torturously slow impalement drove him mad. He wanted all of Rodney...now! John bucked up, dragging Rodney down in counterpoint, and laughing as he caught Rodney by surprise, the cry of 'oh god oh god' filling the air as he slid all the way inside.

"Fuck me. Fuck me, Rodney."

For once, Rodney obeyed without question, drawing back until only the head remained in the tight channel before thrusting forward, dragging a guttural cry of pleasure from John. Again and again, Rodney pulled out and thrust forward, his hardened shaft brushing over that sensitive spot each time, his hand pumping John's needy flesh in perfect time until stars danced before John's eyes and he came, hard, cum shooting between them splattering over Rodney's fingers, over John's belly and chest. Even as his own climax overtook him, he rocked beneath the onslaught of Rodney's climax, feeling the heat of his semen scalding his innards.

They collapsed into a heap of sweaty limbs, spent but elated, murmuring inane words to each other as the incredible feelings echoed through their close-pressed bodies. If time could stand still then John wanted it to be this moment, lying replete and loved in Rodney's arms, with the feel of Rodney's still half-hard cock filling him. But it couldn't last and John sighed raggedly as Rodney carefully withdrew and rolled aside.

John reached over and traced the fading bruise on Rodney's face. The remainder would fade in time, perhaps too quickly, now, because it symbolized the realization of a love he had never truly contemplated until after Kavanagh's false accusation. Thoughts of Kavanagh made him grin and, upon seeing Rodney's querying expression, he felt he had to share.

"Caldwell has orders to take Kavanagh back to Earth. Seems O'Neill has an important assignment for him on a planet designated as P5Z M3D."

"P5Z M3D?" Rodney took on that constipated look from when he was concentrating really hard, and then his face relaxed into a beatific grin and he laughed. "Planet of the Triffids," he crowed, recalling his one night of passion on Antarctica, and the archaeologist who shared his most unnerving moment of gate travel with Rodney as they lay in post-coital bliss. "Thank you, Daniel!"

THE END


End file.
